Brown Vs. Board Of Education
The Brown Vs. the board of education case had a big impact on many other similar cases as Mr. Brown’s and on history itself. This case cased many people to see that the separation between educations was useless and did not help the children’s education. It also did not help the racism going on at the time. In the 1950's, public places were segregated. There were black school were only colored kids went. Then there were white schools were white children went. Many white schools were offended close to the neighborhoods and communities were children of color stayed. But back then, African American's weren't allowed to go to a white school or even attend any school with the white children. Many African American children had to walk far distances to get to school. Some walked miles and miles, even all the way across town just to get to school. Many African American parents worried about their children's safety getting to school. For such young innocent little boys and girls to have walk across rail road switch-yards and mile's and mile's through town to get to their school. Parents like Linda Brown knew that this wasn't right and needed to change the School board system operated. In Topeka Kansas, a little African American 3rd grade girl had to walk very far to get to her school. Her father knew things should change and went to court with many other black parents about the way the U.S District court was segregated.
This kicked off a change in African American history. This started a dramatic change in the world. This started with Linda and Olivier Brown. Oliver Leon Brown was born in 1618, in Spring-field Montana. He had a pretty typical childhood as an African American boy. Oliver Brown grew up a fine young man and made a living as a minister at St. Marks A.M.E and a railroad welder in Topeka Kansas. He was the provider for his beautiful wife and three daughters, Darlene, Cheryl, and Linda. Oliver wanted the best education and future possible for his daughters. All his children were enrolled in a school, even his 8 year old daughter Linda. Linda Oliver was going to Monroe elementary, an all-black. To get there, Linda had to take a 5 mile bus drive and travel through an unsafe rail road yard to get to her school, Monroe elementary. Oliver Brown didn't want his little girl to make such dangerous, long, and exhausting journey every morning to school. So, being that's another elementary school just 7 blocks away, Oliver tried to register Linda in that school, Sumner elementary school, which happens to be an all-white school. But the principal of Sumner elementary refused to let a colored student attend there school. After the principal refused, Oliver went to of the NAACP a.k.a National Association for the advancement of colored people, which was McKinley Burnett and asked for assistance. The NAACP was more the glad to help Mr. Brown. On 1951, 12 other African American parents who were denied there child into a white school’s, joined in to help Mr. Brown and the NAACP start an inference in the segregation of schools. Out of all the families now involved in the interference, Mr. Brown was chosen as the lead plaintiff being the only male. During this time, Mr. Brown was only 32 years old. Now that Mr. Brown had similar, case.
When this case was taken to state level, it sadly lost the case. They referred to the Plessy vs. Ferguson case. That case had allowed had allowed the separation between black and white. The Plessy Vs. Ferguson case stated that the separation was not violating any law or amendment. The state was allowing the separation because they said “It will better preparing the children for when they get later treated like this when there grown up." During this time, African American weren't allowed to eat in the same restaurants, drink from the same water fountains, or even ride in the same car train as white people. After losing the state case, Oliver and the NAACP didn't stop there. They took it to the next level. Oliver Brown and the NAACP took the whole case a step further. Determined to make a change in the segregation of the school board system. Mr. Brown and the NAACP went to the untied-states supreme court! They had first appealed in the supreme court in October, 1951. By this time, there were similar case's like Oliver's. Some case's started from Delaware, Virginia, and south Carolina.
The supreme court , first heard from the lawyers December 9, 1952. Both sides argued there point. Brown's lawyers argued that there shouldn't be a segregation in the education unless there was proof that black children were different from anyone else. The board Of Education's lawyer argued that many people including some blacks scholars, did not see a problem in attending a all black school. The arguments went on for three days. The supreme court talked over several months about the case. While the supreme court was asking both lawyers questions about the case, one of the supreme justices died and had to be replaced. A year after the first arguments where heard, the case was stated once again. Three long years passed until the case was finally closed in May 17th, 1954. The case closed with finally favor of Linda Brown and the other African American children!! The supreme court said it not fair that the black and white children were segregated in different schools. the votes were 9 to 0. Mr. Brown and the NAACP had won the case ! They changed African American history. It took some school's many year' s to put all the students together in the same school 's and have them all treated fairly. Some people were still prejudice against the blacks. That still didn't change the fact that Oliver, the NAACP, and Linda Brown forever changed the world. The purpose of the supreme court case Brown Vs. Board of Education, was to challenge the segregation of public schools. The segregation of public schools separated African American students and white students , which led to them attending different public schools. African American students and their parents argued that segregation was unconstitutional and a violation of the 14th amendment.
History stands today :
Today children of all color and race attend the same school. Wither it’s a boarding school or a public school. This particular case changed history for young students all around the world. This case contributed to a huge part of history and that’s because If Mr. Brown had never tried to enroll his 8 year old daughter Linda in Sumner Elementary, and the principals refusal, then little African American children would still be treated bad, and un-humane. Children would be going to different schools still, and world would still have a little segregation in it. Although t, Mr. Brown was not the first African American to try to enroll his child in an all-white school, but his case was not only the last, but the most impacted case. His case really opened the eyes of jury to see that separation of the school wasn’t helping the children learn and was inconvenient for some of the children. People learn from each other every day and putting the children together in the same schools help the children learn about different lives some children have to live. Makes them appreciate something’s more. Little did the jury know this separation was a huge impact on the world and the other students. Students were able to learn from each other and learn different things about their cultures.
Why was there segregation?
There was segregation between the colors and whites all throughout the united states. The Civil War ended slavery, but began a whole new war began- Segregation. African Americans believed they would be a part of a society where equity was formed. . To their disappointment, blacks had to adopt to the Northern and Southern states where Segregation was considered legal. African Americans were not allowed to vote. Legislation created Jim Crow laws that separated Blacks from attending the same school, living in neighborhoods that whites lived in and gathering together in public places together. Blacks were left alone as long as they lived in their own section of town, eat in the different places as white, and keep their right to vote from becoming a part of their rights. The case with Mr. Brown really should the whites that even though there free from slavery , they still demanded to be treated equal and the as everyone else. They wanted to abolish the Jim Crows laws.
Jim Crow Laws
In spite of all of these changes in the Constitution, African Americans and people of color were yet denied their rights of true liberty. State legislators enacted laws that led to the segregation of races. These laws were established as, “Jim Crow Laws”. In 1892 Jim Crow laws were challenged by Homer Plessey who refused to give up his seat to a white man while riding the train. Plessey brought his case all the way to the Supreme Court. He lost the case, but in 1909 the National African American Advancement for Colored People went to Congress to turn around laws of racism and inequality. Jim Crow Laws were laws and customs designed to keep black and white people separated. The law were created to limit the liberties and opportunities of people of color. Blacks and whites were not allowed to play together, have mixed couples marry, attend the same schools together, nor travel on the same means of transportation together. As long as this law was set, the African Americans could not get the freedom that they very much deserved. After The Brown Vs. Board Of Education case , Jim Crow laws were abolished and the segregation was beginning to end.
How were the children affected?
During this case, it was not just about the segregation of the adults, but the children to. The children took a part of the segregation. After all, the case was started because of the children’s education being separated. The children were affected because of the change especially when they were accustomed to being separated from each other where the whites were together as one and the African Americans were also together as one. When things changed and the whites and African American ended up together as one it was hard for them for a while. People of all races should be able to enjoy equality under the law in the united states. African American children wanted equal protection under the laws as promised by the fourteenth amendment
How Did the Court Case Change the History of America?
The change that the Supreme Court court demanded had not happened overnight. Many counties in many States simply refused to go along with it. After a while, the changes were slowly made. The Brown v. Board of Education did change the nation quite a bit and it changed the nature of race relations in America. Many supporters and leaders of the civil right movement, including the future civil rights leader Martin Luther King, praised the promise contained within Brown. His case opened the eyes of the people to see that the skin color didn’t matter. Their education was still the same. They were No different and needed the same chances as everyone else. Many black schools went out of business. Many black teachers no longer were employed and wouldn't be hired in white schools. By outlawing Jim Crow, many blacks who gained employment through state-run supported Blacks-only programs were out of jobs. As Board of Education policy was being enforced, it caused many white parents to move their children to private schools instead. It did indeed take a while for the parents to warm up to the change but they soon did. All around the world, people began to see that blacks and Spanish, were different than whites. Brown Vs. The Board Of Education case took things to a different level. They showed the world a lot of things. Linda and Oliver Brown fought for something they really thought was unfair and it was. With the help of the of NAACP, they all helped changed a big part of history. Even though it took years to take part, the changed did happen. Because of that, Mr. Brown is the reason we all go to school together today. And we all get to be treated fair and equal. He not only abolished the Jim Crows law, but he stopped segregation also. He was the voice for the speechless kids having to walk miles and miles to go to school, he was the voice for all the colored and Spanish people who couldn’t the same education the whites. Oliver Brown didn’t just do it to help his own little girl, but to take part and fight something bigger then himself and help make a difference in the world.